Creating Habits

"Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good" Malcolm Gladwell

Creating habits is hard. Eating chocolate every day, or drinking too much wine, or watching telly when there's washing up to be done; those are easy. But the good-for-you habits that will help you grow and thrive, those are often more tricky. How can we build good habits?

1. What is your driver? Be really clear on why you want to do this new habit. If there's no compelling reason, face it, it's not going happen. 2. Start small. Some people can decide that they will exercise for an hour a day and then just do it. But most of us find it easier to start small and work up Commit to 5 minutes a day of exercise that makes you breathless. Decide you are going to do 10 minutes of mindful meditation every day. Resolve to take a 15 minute lunch-break every day (who gets an hour nowadays anyway!). Keep it real and achievable.

3. Find the right time. When can you do this new habit, at the same time every day. Be honest, if you didn't brush your teeth first thing in the morning you would probably forget. Find a time where your habit can be done, same time (ish) every day, before or after something you already habitually do.

4. Be accountable. Are you thrilled when you tick something off on a list? Try that for habits. There are some excellent habit tracker apps where you can get that shot of dopamine every day for ticking off that you've put your shoes on. Tell someone you are trying to create a new habit and ask them to ask you about it, annoyingly regularly. Find that accountability thing that works for you, and put it in place.

5. Do it even if you don't feel like it. Habits are easier if they are every day. So even if you don't fancy doing whatever it is, just do it anyway, even if it is only for 1 minute. One minute is still doing your habit. Just do it!

6. Celebrate your successes. Give yourself a treat when you hit 10 in a row (even if two of them were only for 30 seconds!). Tell your best friend when you have done your new habit for a month and feel their joy for you. What type of rewards do you like? Build them into your habit plan.

7. Keep going long enough and it won't feel hard any more. Actually, it will still feel difficult occasionally, But once it is habit, it's much more harder to miss that exercise session or meditation practice because it is just what you do, sort of like autopilot. Like brushing your teeth or that first cup of tea in the morning. What healthy habits do you want to form? Let us know if we can help you achieve them.

Love

Jen Rise&Bloom